Method of treating wood



urrr. STATES PATENT ()FFICE.

SYDNEY SMITH, 035 DETROIT, IVIICHIGAN, ASSIGNOB TO THE STUDEBAKER CORPORA- TIO'N, A CORPGBATION OF NEW JERSEY.

EIIETHOD Oli TREATING \VOOD;

ggmggg. Specification of Letters Patent. P t t d J '7 No Drawing. Application filed August 2, 1919. Serial No. 315,035. To all whom it may concern: aslow but regular rise in temperature from Be it known that I, SYDNEY SMITH, a zero to approximately two hundred degrees citizen or the United States of America, and ill, extending over a period of approximately resident of Detroit, in the county of Wayne four hours. I he solution that I have emand State 01": Michigan, have invented cerployed for treating wood is what is known tain new and useful Improvements in Methin the market as Standard grip enamel. I ods oi": Treating Wood, of which the followhave -found that satisfactory results are acing is a specification. complished with this substance, but there This invention relates to a method or are other substances of a kindred nature,that 1o process for the treatment or wood whereby is enameling fluids, having the same general t to withstand high temperchemical constituents, which no doubt would it is conditioner atures in excess of its normal critical point serve the same purpose. and whereby its strength is increased. My experiments have demonstrated that When different kinds of woods are subjectwood, the normal critical point of which is 15 ed to a rise in temperature it is i'ound that around 150 degrees F., can, after being treateach particular kind will withstand a cered as described, be safely subjected to a temtain degree of temperature rise without perature upward of 300 degrees F. without showing any deleterious eiiect, whereas, a any detrimental eifects. In fact, the treatcontinued rise in tempe'ature above this ment serves to not only protect the wood 20 point will result in the destroying of the against temperature rise, but also serves to wood fibers, churring ot' the wood and de- 1mpart greater strength to the wood than preciation in the strength thereof. The teniwas present therein prior to the treatment. perature at which the wood succumbs to For the purpose of illustration, the result the heat varies with different woods, and the of one experiment will suflice. A piece 0 25 point at which any particular kind oi wood maple without any treatment whatsoever so begins to be seriously affected by heat is was subjected to a heat test and its critical known as the critical point. In practice, it point was found to be around 160 degrees. is found that for the well known woods this The second piece of maple, cut adjacent the temperature will vary from between 125 first piece, and of the same size, was treated 30 degrees F. to 160 degrees F. in accordance with the method of this in- It is desirable at times in the various arts *ention, the slow baking operation extendto so condition wood that it will be able to ing over a period of four hours and the withstand high temperatures in excess of maximum temperature reached being 200 the normal critical points of the particular degrees F. This latter piece of maple, 35 kind or wood employed. For the purposes treated as described, was later subjected to of this disclosure, it is not necessary here to upward of 27 5 degrees F. without showing specify the particular arts or the uses to any deleterious eilect. In this experiment which the wood is employed, but it is su'ithe treated wood withstood an increased rise iicient to note that hfequently it is desirable of 1.15 degrees above its normal critical 40 to provide. means vhereby the critical point point as a result of said treatment. A or" a particular kind of wood maybe so raised strength test was also made on both of these that it may be subjected to otherwise excespieces of maple, and it was found that the sive heat without deleterious effects upon the untreated piece broke at 9&0 pounds. When wood. It is also an advantage to increase the treated wood was subjected to a break- 45 the strength or the wood for certain uses. ing strain it was :tound to break at 1530 With the purpose oi' accomplishing these pounds. It thus appears that in the experiresultsflhave treated several species or": wood ment reterred to, the wood which had unby the process hereafter described, and I dergone the treatment of this process withhave discovered that said critical point is stood a test of nearly 600 pounds greater 5O raised by such treatment and the strength of than the untreated stock, or, in round numthe wood is increased. hers, its strength had been enhanced through My method or process consists in treating the treatment approximately two-thirds. wood with a solution by immersion or by Thus the method or process operates not coating, and then subjecting the wood thus only to raise the critical point of wood but 55 treated to heat, the heat being applied with to greatly increase the strength thereof. 11o

subjecting it to a gradual rise in In the foregoing description, I have specifically set forth and described the preferred manner of practising the invention, but it will be understood that I do not limit the method to the specific materials or temperatures specified. The substitution of equivalents and the varying of the temperatures in accordance with the particular woods under consideration are-within the scope of this invention.

'VVhat I claim is:

- 1. In the art of treating wood, the process of increasing its strength and raising its critical point, which consists in applying to the wood a chemical agent and thereafter I temperaover a prolonged period.

2. In the art of treating wood, the process of increasing its strength and raising its critical point, which consists in applying to the wood a chemical agent and then subjectgradual rise in temperature exprolonged period, during which a temperature at least equal to the critical point of the wood treated is attained.

3. In the art of treating wood, the process 01" increasing its strength and raising its ture extending critical point, which consists in applying a chemical agent to the Wood and thereafter subjecting it to a gradual rise in temperature over a period of upward of three hours, during which a temperature upward of the temperature of the critical point of the wood treated is attained.

at. In the art of treating wood, the process of increasing its strength and raising its critical point, which consists in applying a chemical agent to the wood, and thereafter subjecting it to a gradual rise in temperature for a period of approximately four hours during which a temperature of approximately 200 F. is attained.

5. In the art of treating wood, the process of increasing its strength and raising its critical point, which consists in applying thereto an enameling fluid and thereafter subjecting it to a gradual rise in temperature.

Signed b 1 me at Detroit, Michigan, U. S. A. this 29th day of July, 1919.

' SYDNEY SMITH.

Vitnesses VINCENT LINK, A. E. LEAOH. 

